The Washington Wizards had an opportunity to take the Eastern Conference's fourth seed away from the Indiana Pacers on Saturday, but things have gone south for the team from the nation's capital as they remained in the fifth spot after losing to the Miami Heat in blowout fashion, 129-102.
All-star guard Bradley Beal couldn't help but be frustrated by the team's terrible performance that allowed the Heat to make an excellent 59.1 percentage of their shots from the field.
After taking a 60-48 lead at halftime, the Heat outscored the Wizards, 43-28, in the third frame en route to a huge 103-76 advantage heading into the final canto which eventually turned out as a point of no return for Washington.
Shooting guard Jodie Meeks led the Wizards by scoring 23 points while Beal was limited to only 14 points and three rebounds.
With the loss, the Wizards dropped to 38-29 — just a half-game behind the Indiana Pacers who sport a 38-28 card.
Beal aired his frustrations to NBC Sports' Chase Hughes after the game, stating:
“They got whatever they wanted. Just a lack of effort and a lack of pride.”
The 27-point loss to the Heat was also their most lopsided setback since Dec. 22 when they found themselves losing to the Brooklyn Nets by 35 points. Earlier this year, the Hornets also beat them by 24 points.
The Wizards will look to get back in the winning column as they return to action against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday live on NBA TV. The task doesn't get easier for Beal and co. and the stakes only becomes higher with teams elbow-to-elbow in the playoff race.
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